Abstract: A pixel includes a photo-diode, an integration capacitor arranged to receive a photo current from the photo-diode and to store charge developed from the photo current; and an injection transistor disposed between the photo-diode and the integration capacitor that controls flow of the photo current from the photo-diode to the integration capacitor, the injection transistor having a gate, a source electrically coupled to the photo-diode at a first node, and a drain electrically coupled to the integration capacitor. The injection transistor is a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) FET having its gate set to a SONOS gate voltage to control a detector bias voltage of the photo-diode at the first node.

Abstract: A pixel includes a detector that changes its operating characteristics based on incident energy, an integration capacitor arranged to discharge stored charge through the detector based on changes in the operating characteristics, and an floating gate injection device disposed between the photo-diode and the integration capacitor that controls flow of the charge from the integration capacitor to the detector. The floating gate injection device has a gate, a source electrically coupled to the detector at a first node, and a drain electrically coupled to the integration capacitor. The gate has a control voltage (VT) stored therein to set to a per-pixel bias gate voltage to control a detector bias voltage of the detector at the first node.

Abstract: A digital pixel includes a capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA) coupled to a photodiode that receives an electrical charge and output an integration voltage. An integration capacitor coupled to the CTIA accumulates the integration voltage over an integration period. A comparator compares the accumulated integration voltage with a threshold voltage and generates a control signal at a first level each time the accumulated integration voltage is greater than the threshold voltage. A charge subtraction circuit receives the control signal at the first level and discharges the accumulated integration voltage each time the control signal at the first level is received from the comparator. An analog or digital counter receives the control signal at the first level and adjusts a counter value each time the control signal is received from the comparator. An output interface communicates the counter value to an image processing circuit at an end of the integration period.

Abstract: A pixel includes a detector that changes its operating characteristics based on incident energy, an integration capacitor arranged to discharge stored charge through the detector based on changes in the operating characteristics, and an floating gate injection device disposed between the photo-diode and the integration capacitor that controls flow of the charge from the integration capacitor to the detector. The floating gate injection device has a gate, a source electrically coupled to the detector at a first node, and a drain electrically coupled to the integration capacitor. The gate has a control voltage (VT) stored therein to set to a per-pixel bias gate voltage to control a detector bias voltage of the detector at the first node.

Abstract: A digital pixel includes a capacitive transimpedence amplifier (CTIA) coupled to a photodiode that receives an electrical charge and output an integration voltage. An integration capacitor coupled to the CTIA accumulates the integration voltage over an integration period. A comparator compares the accumulated integration voltage with a threshold voltage and generates a control signal at a first level each time the accumulated integration voltage is greater than the threshold voltage. A charge subtraction circuit receives the control signal at the first level and discharges the accumulated integration voltage each time the control signal at the first level is received from the comparator. An analog or digital counter receives the control signal at the first level and adjusts a counter value each time the control signal is received from the comparator. An output interface communicates the counter value to an image processing circuit at an end of the integration period.

Abstract: Digital circuitry is provided that periodically reads at least one bit of digital counters associated with pixels of an image sensor. When the read bit(s) of a particular digital counter decrease between subsequent reads, then the digital circuitry increments an overflow counter associated with the particular digital counter. The value of each of the overflow counters of the digital circuitry are used with the corresponding values of the digital counters to generate pixel values for a frame (also referred to as an image).

Abstract: A digital pixel circuit includes a unit cell configured to accumulate an electrical charge during a frame. The electrical charge is proportional to a light intensity of a light signal that is detected at a location in a field of view of the unit cell. An image processing unit is in signal communication with the unit cell. The image processing unit is configured to determine a total charge based on a plurality of accumulated charges over a plurality of sequential frames, and to determine an indication of the light intensity of light at the location based on the total charge. The unit cell is configured to operate in a first mode to accumulate the electrical charges over the plurality of sequential frames, and a second mode to perform a calibration operation that calibrates the unit cell based on the electrical charge accumulated during a single frame among the plurality of frames.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) stack is provided and includes a capacitor layer and an integrated circuit (IC) layer. The capacitor layer includes capacitors and capacitor layer connectors respectively communicative with corresponding capacitors. The IC layer is stacked vertically with the capacitor layer and is hybridized to a detector. The IC layer includes IC layer connectors respectively communicative with corresponding capacitor layer connectors.

Abstract: A digital pixel circuit includes a unit cell configured to accumulate an electrical charge during a frame. The electrical charge is proportional to a light intensity of a light signal that is detected at a location in a field of view of the unit cell. An image processing unit is in signal communication with the unit cell. The image processing unit is configured to determine a total charge based on a plurality of accumulated charges over a plurality of sequential frames, and to determine an indication of the light intensity of light at the location based on the total charge. The unit cell is configured to operate in a first mode to accumulate the electrical charges over the plurality of sequential frames, and a second mode to perform a calibration operation that calibrates the unit cell based on the electrical charge accumulated during a single frame among the plurality of frames.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) stack is provided and includes a capacitor layer and an integrated circuit (IC) layer. The capacitor layer includes capacitors and capacitor layer connectors respectively communicative with corresponding capacitors. The IC layer is stacked vertically with the capacitor layer and is hybridized to a detector. The IC layer includes IC layer connectors respectively communicative with corresponding capacitor layer connectors.

Abstract: A pixel includes a photo-diode, an integration capacitor arranged to receive a photo current from the photo-diode and to store charge developed from the photo current; and an injection transistor disposed between the photo-diode and the integration capacitor that controls flow of the photo current from the photo-diode to the integration capacitor, the injection transistor having a gate, a source electrically coupled to the photo-diode at a first node, and a drain electrically coupled to the integration capacitor. The injection transistor is a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) FET having its gate set to a SONOS gate voltage to control a detector bias voltage of the photo-diode at the first node.

Abstract: A system including a detector array configured to receive electromagnetic (EM) radiation from a target object, the detector array having one or more detectors is disclosed. The system also includes a readout integrated circuit and one or more processors. The readout integrated circuit has a circuit comprising a number of detector boundary selection components, each one of the number of detector boundary selection components configured to select or adjust a detector boundary from least one of a sub-column boundary or an adjustable boundary.

Abstract: A system including a detector array configured to receive electromagnetic (EM) radiation from a target object, the detector array having one or more detectors is disclosed. The system also includes a readout integrated circuit and one or more processors. The readout integrated circuit has a circuit comprising a number of detector boundary selection components, each one of the number of detector boundary selection components configured to select or adjust a detector boundary from least one of a sub-column boundary or an adjustable boundary.

Abstract: A system including a detector array configured to receive electromagnetic (EM) radiation from a target object, the detector array having one or more detectors is disclosed. The system also includes a readout integrated circuit and one or more processors. The readout integrated circuit has a circuit comprising a number of detector boundary selection components, each one of the number of detector boundary selection components configured to select or adjust a detector boundary from least one of a sub-column boundary or an adjustable boundary.

Abstract: A system including a detector array configured to receive electromagnetic (EM) radiation from a target object, the detector array having one or more detectors is disclosed. The system also includes a readout integrated circuit and one or more processors. The readout integrated circuit has a circuit comprising a number of detector boundary selection components, each one of the number of detector boundary selection components configured to select or adjust a detector boundary from least one of a sub-column boundary or an adjustable boundary.

Abstract: A system including a detector array configured to receive electromagnetic (EM) radiation from a target object, the detector array having one or more detectors is disclosed. The system also includes a readout integrated circuit and one or more processors. The readout integrated circuit has a circuit comprising a number of detector boundary selection components, each one of the number of detector boundary selection components configured to select or adjust a detector boundary from least one of a sub-column boundary or an adjustable boundary.

Abstract: A system including a detector array configured to receive electromagnetic (EM) radiation from a target object, the detector array having one or more detectors is disclosed. The system also includes a readout integrated circuit and one or more processors. The readout integrated circuit has a circuit comprising a number of detector boundary selection components, each one of the number of detector boundary selection components configured to select or adjust a detector boundary from least one of a sub-column boundary or an adjustable boundary.

Abstract: A charge transimpedance amplifier (CTIA) input cell includes a high gain capacitor configured to integrate charge arising from photocurrent, a low gain capacitor, and a switching element that can switch the low gain capacitor to be electrically coupled in parallel to the high gain capacitor. In some examples, the switching element is a low gain switch, which can be manually activated to switch in the low gain capacitor. In these examples, the low gain switch can be electrically disposed between the low gain capacitor and a source of the photocurrent. In other examples, the switching element is a low gain transistor, which can be automatically activated to switch in the low gain capacitor when a voltage across the high gain capacitor reaches a specified threshold. In these examples, the low gain capacitor can be electrically disposed between the low gain transistor and the source of the photocurrent.

Abstract: A bit line driver for a static random access memory (SRAM) cell including: a first voltage supply for supplying a first voltage; a second voltage supply for supplying a second voltage that is less than the first voltage; a write circuit to drive a bit line and an inverse bit line when writing to the SRAM cell; and a pre-charge circuit to pre-charge the bit line and the inverse bit line before reading the content of the SRAM cell. The bit line driver supplies a voltage less than the first voltage by a threshold voltage of one transistor to the bit line or the inverse bit line when the bit line driver drives the bit line or the inverse bit line to a high state.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a differential driver for transmitting a differential signal including: a first power source to supply a first voltage; a second power source to supply a second voltage that is less than the first voltage; a current steering circuit coupled between the first power source and the second power source, the current steering circuit for steering a current into either a positive differential output node or a negative differential output node to transmit the differential signal according to a data signal and a dataN signal; a resistor interposed between the first power source and the current steering circuit; and a constant current sink interposed between the current steering circuit and the second power source, the constant current sink for sinking the current having a substantially constant value, in which, the dataN signal is the inverse of the data signal.